We are overjoyed to announce that Yaya was recently granted asylum! A civil rights leader in Guinea, Yaya first visited the United States when he was invited by the Obama administration to participate in a conference on transparency in democracy.

In 2014, Yaya became one of our Urban Farm Recovery Project Fellows– we'll never forget the smile on his face the first time he laid his eyes on the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm! Since then, Yaya has presented at RIF meetings to help inspire others to remain hopeful during the long and difficult asylum process. Last year, Yaya volunteered for the Clinton campaign and remained an active participant in US democracy.

Tragically, when he fled Guinea, Yaya was forced to separate from his wife who was pregnant with his unborn child. To date, Yaya has yet to meet his first and only son. Having now been granted asylum, Yaya will finally be able to reunite with his wife and son here in the United States. We couldn't be happier for him and we look forward to his family being whole again soon.